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All I know is that he has produced another .500 team.
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Sorry to get on you so hard TC. Your response makes sense. I don't have the ability to judge his people skills, nor do I want to. And let's face it - if the Reds, by some long shot, were to repeat the '99 season again this year, the fans would love Bowden no matter how poorly he treats his own.

All I ask is people to be fair. If you have problem with the gm from a baseball perspective, say why. The point about not developing good starting pitching is valid. But too many refer to all the 'bonehead' moves without specifically mentioning one. Honestly, when you look at his track record, there aren't too many bonehead moves. Hard to make great trades when the purpose of every trade is to dump another $3-4m in salary. As for the comment above, the game has changed dramatically in ten years. When the game was balanced, he put together playoff teams (94-95). Even when he hasn't had a competitive payroll, he won 96 games in '99 and 85 more in '00. Do people realize how difficult it is to be .500 with this payroll?? Ask Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Montreal, Florida, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, Tampa Bay - all teams in similar payroll situations with fewer wins than the Reds over the past 5 years. Only one comes to mind - Oakland - that has surpassed the Reds' success with a small payroll. And that's why the criticism about developing young starters is valid - that's the difference between Oakland and Cincinnati. Unfortunately, payroll has to be a factor in every discussion evaluating a gm. That's baseball in 2002.

TC, Your insight on the Reds is greatly appreciated. As you well know , opinions on Papa Boone have been widely documented by us fans on this board . I'd be curious to know your opinion on what his players think about him . Obviously much more important than what WE think ! My apologies if this has been discussed before & I missed it .

TC I have to agree with you. A conjecture I've made on the board seems more likely to be true now after reading your posts, and it is this: the Reds play worse at home than on the road because Jim Bowden has created such a culture of stress at Cinergy that it is a terrible place to go to work.

"Don't trust any statistics you did not fake yourself."--Winston Churchill

I would love to give you some insight on how the players feel about Bob Boone. I really do not think I should go on record at this time of year and tell you how they feel good or bad. Talking about Bowden and his exploits is one thing considering most if not all of his good and bad has already been made public. Boone is another story. The criticism has come mostly from fans. With any manager there are players that do not like him. To be expected. There are players who love him. I would rather not get into any Boone bashing at this time.

I made the mistake last year of giving some insight about a few players and several people objected. Some people loved it and were intrigued. I probably should not have commented at the time. So, this time I will leave it alone.

I will say this for Bob Boone. He has done a much better job DEALING with the players than he did last year. The Griffey episode really brought that to light. I PERSONALLY believe he gained the repect of a few more players this spring.

TCII, what was the story with the McKeon firing? There were rampant rumors at the time that Larkin got him fired and that leaving early on the last day was a sign of disrespect. What is the real story on that matter? Thanks again

Reds4life.... I rarely hear any comments about Linder. I have met him on three or four occasions but I have yet to talk to him at length. That would be a great interview. He's not an "interactive" owner so the players see him very little.

LGJ... The McKeon firing is a GREAT story. I was with the team in St. Louis the last day of the 2000 season when he was to be fired. Truly a comical scene when all of the writers were hovered around the manager's door after the game waiting for ANYTHING to happen. Jim Bowden was there with the club. This is a VERY long story. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were all shocked when McKeon was not fired that day. I think he was too. I remember the coaches having to meet Bowden the next day in Cincinnati to find out if they had jobs. Really out of the ordinary. Some of the coaches were pissed because they had travel arrangements to leave from St. Louis and they had to go back to Cincy. What a day that was. I'll have to sit down with you sometime and tell the whole story. This post would be 25 pages long. I also remember wondering where Barry and JR were after the game. I spoke with both of them before that game and made plans to go visit them in the coming months. There was never any mention of leaving that day a few innings early. Not that they had to report to me or anything. Sean Casey was pretty pissed about it.

Wheelhouse... People can object for whatever reason they choose. I remember getting into some pretty heated exchanges over the whole episode. I would like to avoid that if at all possible.

Personnally I think it is funny that a unknown reporter has more insights on what is happening with this team then Joe and Marty who have reported on the Reds for decades, any of the regular reporters on either of Cincinnati major papers, or any of the major national reporters.

I also find it funny that Ken Griffey Jr. who hates dealing with reporters at all, would have one visit him during the off season.

Jim Bowden, Bob Boone, and most players knows better then to give their feelings, their likes and dislikes, or personal infomation to any reporter. Particularly one who is unknown and is trying to make a name for himself.

I am sorry Team Clark, but if I had to choose between something as reported by you and something as reported by Tony Jackson, I would take Tony's story every time.

It is suprising to me that with some of the things ou have reported in this forum that you have not been barred from the locker room.

I have bo doubts of your bonifieds,. but I do have a problem with being reminded every two seconds of your inside sources.

geo_j I just don't know what to say to you.... If you don't like what I write quit reading. There's always one in a group I guess. I think we have covered this before. The TRUTH is rarely printed in the paper. And I mean RARELY. If you only knew how this business works. Usually it is an "account" of what happened with many omitted details.

I hardly think I'm unknown. I write four weekly (soon to be 5) columns that are read by more people than those that read the Dayton Daily News and Cincinnati Post COMBINED. (Closing in on on the Enquirer too)

Do you think Marty tells all he knows?? I know you are not naive. Let's strike that from the record.

I have never been and never will be barred from any clubhouse unless I pull a Ruben Rivera. Which is not very likely.

Ummm..did you not see the pictures of my family and I at Griffey's for Thanksgiving? Hmmm. You must have forgotten that. Not to mention I have been friends with the Griffey family since 1989. I have also known the Larkin's since '91.

Keep firing away Geo-J.. It's one thing to disagree with me on baseball issues. I understand and enjoy the banter. Your right to disagree and my right to argue. Quit with the attacks on the credibility.

BTW Tony is an excellent reporter who writes for a S#@% paper. I'd believe him too. He's one of the few writers that goes out of his way to NOT write what everyone else is writing. His stories have a great deal of insight. However, he has editors too and they chop his pieces up jus tlike the rest.

Team Clark, can you post the pictures of you at the Griffeys? I wasn't here to see them. Also, why did Larkin and Jr leave the last day of the 2000 season? And where can I find your columns to read? Do you write for a specific paper? And one more question (I swear!) -- Was anyone on the team pissed when Pokey refused to play at the end of last season?

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I hardly think I'm unknown. I write four weekly (soon to be 5) columns that are read by more people than those that read the Dayton Daily News and Cincinnati Post COMBINED. (Closing in on on the Enquirer too) </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I guess I'm out of the loop.

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